Notes of Faith September 11, 2023
Jesus Prays for Us
I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. — Luke 22:32
On the night before His death, Jesus made this announcement:
All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. — Matthew 26:31-32
Translation? Your fall will be great, but My grace will be greater. You’ll find Me waiting for you in Galilee.
The promise was lost on Peter:
Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble. — Matthew 26:33
Not one of Peter’s finer moments. Arrogant. Self-sufficient. Peter’s trust was in Peter’s strength. Yet Peter’s strength would peter out. Jesus knew it.
Jesus’ prayers hamstring Satan.
Satan would attack and test Peter. But Satan would never claim Peter. Why? Because Peter was strong? No, because Jesus was.
I have prayed for you. — Luke 22:32
Jesus’ prayers hamstring Satan.
Jesus prays for you as well (John 17:11, John 17:20 NLT).
Will God hear the intercessory pleas of His Son? Of course He will. Like Peter, our faith will wane, our resolve waver, but we will not fall away. We are “kept by Jesus” (Jude 1 NIV) and “shielded by God’s power” (1 Peter 1:5 NIV). And that is no small power. It is the power of a living and ever-persistent Savior… who prays for us.
Excerpted from God Is With You Every Day by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
Jesus knows the end from the beginning. He knows everything about us, every thought and action. He prayed for Peter. He prays for you and me!
Rom 8:34-39
Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes (prays) for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No matter the trial, persecution, any kind of suffering that Satan and the world bring our way, the Lord will bring us to Himself and complete His perfect plan. You are a child of God and He will bring you to your eternal home with Him! Rest assured in His promises.
Pastor Dale